| There is no doubt the Americans have it good | | | | want to see Michael Schumacher and other |
| when it comes to motor racing. Just about every | | | | drivers without travelling up to Canada or down |
| weekend during the season there will be some | | | | to South America, where the races are |
| major motor racing event somewhere within the | | | | permanently there. |
| USA, making it assessable not just for the TV | | | | The truth is though, that F1 is one of the few |
| watchers but for those who want to pack up | | | | sports that do not need the USA. It has such a |
| their RV and watch it live. So when Formula One | | | | huge following throughout the world that the USA |
| visits once a year it really does have a lot to live | | | | audience is less important than other countries. |
| up to. | | | | Take Italy for example, it has been quoted that |
| It is probably because of this that F1 has not | | | | more Italians (Ferrari) watch every F1 race that |
| been a permanent fixture every year. It has | | | | Americans watch Nascar. Then multiply that |
| survived the last 7 seven years but after what | | | | across the world through Japan, Australia, |
| can only be called a "farce" of a race in 2005, | | | | Germany (Michael Schumacher), Spain (Alonso), |
| nearly went the distance again. F1 has also over | | | | Brazil and what is believed to be the home of F1, |
| the years added regulations to slow the cars | | | | the UK ( Button and Couthard) and you have got |
| down, such as narrower tyres, smaller engines, | | | | a huge audience that puts the USA in the shade. |
| smaller wing areas and the list goes on. This was | | | | As a spectator watching on TV and probably |
| to stop the cars becoming too expensive and too | | | | there at Indianapolis, it is unlikely you will see the |
| fast for the narrower circuits of the rest of the | | | | race of the season, the nature of the long |
| world. In the States however the racetracks tend | | | | straights and wide track, don't allow for much |
| to be wider to accommodate events such as | | | | overtaking or exciting driving. Fast driving yes, |
| Nascar, so the cars are often flat out most of | | | | exciting driving no! |
| the time. | | | | For me this is a real shame as there should be |
| There doesn't seem to be many American | | | | more effort put in to give them a show. |
| drivers who have made it big in F1, you have to | | | | However on saying that, the USA Grand prix |
| go back nearly thirty years to see a real | | | | tickets are considerably cheaper than elsewhere in |
| involvement at top level. However even with | | | | the world. A grandstand ticket is about a third to |
| those reasons against F1, 100,000 spectators still | | | | about a fifth of the price of the equivalent ticket |
| came to Indianapolis to see the 2006 Grand prix. | | | | in the UK, with about the same audience size so |
| There is clearly a hard core of racing fans that | | | | that clearly puts pressure on the financial details. |